Sorry for my silence over this last week. Winter League 2011 has been going on FOREVER, and I didn’t have any good topics. Seriously, what’s left for me to say? Certainly, the Wildcard played out to perfection. Every single top-seed won, which proved this: that silver, jade, gold and azure are the best; that black, red, navy and deep blue are mediocre, and that royal, forest, white and maroon are all just bad (with perhaps forest being the sole exception. Pilgrim’s crew actually might be mediocre).
So, instead, let me go ahead and offer the Skunk awards. Unlike the past, it’s not just me who’s giving it. Instead, I’ve brought in a team of 7, and in wide ranging conversations going on over the past month, they submitted their suggestions and votes. I’m sure it’s not hard to figure out who they are.
Now, on to the awards:
Most Spirited Team in League: Chris Falk’s Disgustingly Positive. Falk and his crew set their sights on this award, and won it with a unanimous vote of 7-0. “Adam’s grab bag of joy,” was cited, as was Nan Abbott’s lovely sense of fashion. They reportedly only had one spirit-related breakdown, but that was against the Lieutenant’s Undertow, so nobody can hold that against Maroon. Congratulations.
Most Valuable Player (Chick): Alison Stargel of Twelve. Alison won this by a vote of 7-0. As the sole woman on Twelve, she played virtually every point and was critical in every aspect of the game, including defense, handler and as a deep threat. Allee was absolutely fantastic and is expected to go early in the Summer League, 2011 draft. Honorable mention: Erica Zuhr (of Azure).
Most Valuable Player (Dude): David Goldsmith of Biomass. David wins this in a tightly contested three way race, barely edging out Phil Campbell of the IPA and the sexy Colin Forehand of the G-Unit. David gets the nod just simply because he was so critical to Biomass and is strong in every aspect of the game. The consensus is that Jade would not have been a contender this season without David’s fine play. On that note, Colin was singled out for being one of the most difficult players in all of league to cover, while Phil Campbell was identified for stepping up as a leader on Azure and for his mature (seriously!) and consistent strong play.
Rookie of the Year (Dude): Matt Chandler of the Nighthawks. Matt Chandler is new to the game, but had an amazing season playing for Robert Love. In the regular season finale, Black almost upset Navy with just six players, with Matt working hard as a critical reset and deep threat with hands of Velcro. He will not be the last dude picked for his team next season, and wins the Rook award by a vote of 5-2. Honorable mention: Colby Burtt of Jade, who also had a fantastic rookie season.
Rookie of the Year (Chick): Jackie Branyon of the G-Unit. Jackie is a fast and ferocious defender who is not afraid of anyone. She has been a critical part of the G-Unit’s zone defense and has solid hands, which made the vote for her unanimous. It should be of no surprise that Jackie is projected to go in the first round for Summer League, 2011.
Captain of the Year: Nick McGrane of the G-Unit. I’ll be honest, there was some heated debate here, and the vote was split 4-3, but Nick gets the nod, and here’s why: He had a fantastically successful season, drafted an incredible team, maintained a huge roster week in and week out, and has become one of the league’s most popular captains due to a mix of great personal spirit, great competitiveness, and letting players play “their game.” Honorable Mention: Kevin Ekkebus of The All-Inclusive Silver Scoutforce (my personal vote) for doing a great job with Silver and keeping a diverse mix of personalities positive, focused and ready to play week in and week out.
Jack Skunk’s Starting O-Line:
•Michelle Fusting
•Alison Stargel
•Colin Forehand
•Kyle “Pilgrim” Thompson
•Phil Campbell
•Zach Floyd
•Kevin Switzer
Jack Skunk’s Starting D-Line:
•Erica Zuhr
•Sarah Gardiner
•David Goldsmith
•Joel Crandall
•Phil “The Showkiller” Nassoiy
•Ashton Manley
•Anthony Vogt
